Freelance Writer & Comedy Writer

Whether it’s for international media corporations or the children he encounters in his own life, Matt Bethune loves creating stories with colorful characters.

Matt began performing at the tender age of 5 when he, ever the type to do whatever his big brother did, begged to be allowed into the same acting class his brother was enrolled in. An uncontrollable urge to pick up a puppet at the age of 17 lead to his studying puppetry at the University of Connecticut. During his Freshmen year, he finally found out how to get, how to get to Sesame Street when he was invited to the set, and was given the honor of putting on the Elmo muppet.

Back in his hometown of Saginaw, Michigan, Matt was commissioned by the United Way to write and perform a puppet show aimed at teaching early elementary students what it meant to live as part of a community, and how they could help make theirs a better place. The show toured to dozens of schools in Saginaw County, enriching the lives of thousands of children.

Matt went on to earn a B.S. in Electronic Media and Broadcasting from Eastern Michigan University. Fascinated by the changing effect digital technologies were having on traditional stories, Matt decided to obtain his M.A. in Digital Storytelling from Ball State University. While at Ball State, Matt was awarded a WIPB Student Grant award to create an original children’s television program entitled Our Magical World. Matt oversaw all aspects of the show, doing everything from writing and performing two principal puppet characters, to producing and editing the show as well. The Indiana episode of the program aired on PBS.

Most recently, Matt has been hired as a digital puppeteer for an exciting new show at Hershey’s Chocolate World, and serves as a production assistant for various clients, including Sprout, Reebok, and the National Football League. He continues booking freelance writing and performing jobs, and is developing his own preschool series called Max’s Imaginationland.